There's No Recess in Highschool
by aliceoverseven
Summary: The six childhood friends are now in high school. Can their friendship outlast love, feuds and just about any other teen issue? I may have just wrecked your childhood with this story.
1. Chapter 1

"Gretchen!" Gretchen Grundler, who was on her way to her next class, stopped and turned to search the moving crowed of students for the owner of the voice.

Gretchen had grown even taller in the seven years since fourth grade. She stood a good five inches above the average sophomore girl in the high school. She had swapped her trademark pigtails for a side braid and now wore thick framed glasses as a failed attempt to hide her freckles. She had grown into her buckteeth and was now the owner of a straight, white smile.

She spotted her long-time friend, Gus, just in time to watch him trip over his own feet and go plummeting towards the floor. Gretchen smiled gently and made her way over to him.

Gustav Griswald had been getting even clumsier in the past few months, if that was even possible. He was having a hard time adjusting to his new height acquired after his last growth spurt. He stood even taller than her now at 6'1" and the recent years of training daily with his father had built his muscles so you could make out the lines from underneath his white t-shirt. Having traded his glasses for contact lenses and styling his golden hair into a messy faux hawk he had become quite attractive.

Gretchen crouched down to start collecting the books that where now scattered across the hallway. "You should be more careful." She said, handing the books over to her friend.

"Thanks Gretch." He gave an embarrassed chuckle. "I was wondering if I could borrow the notes from yesterday's biology class."

She gave a sigh and reached into her messenger bag, which coincidently matched her blue button down shirt and blue jeans perfectly. "You know one of these days the teachers are going to start noticing you dosing off in classes." Having found the notes she held them out for Gus to take, although they didn't make it to their destination before being ripped out of her hands.

"Thanks loser!" said an obnoxious voice fallowed by an equally obnoxious laugh. Both teens looked to their side to see Erwin Lawson holding the biology notes with his normal cocky grin splattered across his face.

Not much had changed with Lawson over the years, other than his height. He was still the school's rebellious bully. Unfortunately for him his defiant ways had cost him his spot on the basketball team and had now taken to skipping classes and was known for his frequent trips to Francis, formerly known as the Hustler Kid, and smoking weed and cigarettes out behind the gym.

"Give them back Lawson." Gus said straightening his back to emphasize just how much bigger he was than the bully.

"Or what? You'll hit me and risk having to explain it to your daddy?" Gus didn't have time to reply before Lawson was ruthlessly pushed between the two friends and into the lockers.

"He may not want to do anything but I can name a million things that I will." Snarled Spinelli, fist bunched up in the front of the boys shirt.

Ashley Spinelli was on the shorter side of average in height but when it came to temper, she had the biggest of them all. It was a well-known fact that you shouldn't get on the black haired girls bad side. However, new students tended to make the mistake of not taking the warnings seriously. Sure she looked like the badass punk type with her ripped jean shorts, orange sleeveless t-shirt, combat boots, a pixie haircut and a thick layer of eyeliner but her features had become so pretty that it was hard to believe she could really do anything violent. Lawson opened his mouth to make a not so clever remark when he noticed a companion behind her and shut his mouth again.

Not that Lawson was afraid of T.J. Detweiler or anything. Detweiler wouldn't risk getting into a petty little fight and losing his spot as quarterback of the football team. It was the influence T.J. had on the student body that he was afraid of.

T.J. had always been popular and well-liked by his peers but since moving to high school in grade nine it seemed that everyone in the entire school would sway to his will. Maybe it was because he was the quarterback, which automatically gave him power, or it was because he was an all-around likable guy. Lawson wasn't sure. He was sure, however, that T.J. Detweiler, with his signature backwards red hat, varsity football jacket and warn down blue jeans, was a powerful enemy to have.

"Come on Spinelli." He said. "You've already got detention after school." Spinelli gave the trapped boy a snarl before grabbing the notes out of his hand and letting him go just in time for the bell to ring that signalled the start of a new class.

"Whatever, I don't need those stupid notes anyways." Lawson said before turning and making his way down the now vacant hallway.

T.J. turned towards his friends after standing silently watching as the rebellious boy made his way out of sight. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Said Gus, receiving the notes back from Spinelli as Gretchen nodded. "That guy has some nerve."

Spinelli grunted. "I don't know why you put up with him, Gus. You could flick him and his arm would break."

"I know I just don't want to disappoint my father with a stupid fight." He sighed and looked at the ground.

T.J. swung his arm around his friends shoulder. "Well, there's nothing we can do about that then. Are you guys going to the party this weekend?"

Gretchen and Gus looked at each other. "Uh, T.J." Gus replied "I think you're team is having a hard enough time allowing you to still be friends with us. It may push them over the edge if we go to one of their parties too."

"What are you talking about?" T.J. smiled. "Any friends of mine are friends of the team… Oh crap." He looked around, seemingly just noticing the empty hallway. "Come on Spinelli, we can't be late for history again." Although the urgency was in his voice, he and his companion strolled down the hall with relaxed strides.

"I guess we should go to." Gretchen said turning to look at Gus though it didn't seem like he was listening. "What are you looking at?"

"Them." He nodded at their friend retreating backs. "They seem to be spending a lot of time together recently, don't you think?"

Gretchens heart leaped in her chest as she looked at the two. "It's only because they've got so many classes together." She wasn't sure if that's what she really thought or if it was what she hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

Gretchen didn't know when she started to feel this way about T.J. She wasn't even sure if she really felt that way. All she knew was that she was thinking about him. A lot. That little smirked that played on his lips, sometimes at the most inappropriate times. His perfect brown hair that stuck up in every direction every time a teacher made him take off his hat. It was messy and looked completely untamed, but god, it was sexy. Gretchen looked down at her desk in attempt to hide the blush that was forming on her cheeks.

She glanced back up to sneak another peek at the boy sitting at the table in front of her, who was happily chatting with his best friend, Vince, about some sports game that aired the night prior. When had he gotten so perfect? He had lost all of his baby fat before high school and since joining the football team it had been perfect jock physic. How could anyone resist the perfect body, smile, hair, eyes and of course, charm that was T.J. Detweiler?

"Hey, are you okay Gretch?" Vince asked turning towards the girl. "You look kind of hot."

"Uh… Yeah. I am kind of hot. I think I'll go get some water." Proud of herself for coming up with such a quick excuse, Gretchen got up from her desk and rushed out of the classroom.

"What's gotten into her?" Vince looked to his friend.

"I don't know." He replied. "She's been acting weird lately. That's the third time this week that I've caught her staring at me. Maybe she's getting sick." T.J. took his phone from his jacket pocket, being cautious that the teacher wasn't looking, typed a quick message before quickly putting it away again.

"So what's going on with you and Spinelli?" Vince asked, grinning as he leaned towards T.J.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied, not bothering to keep a grin his own from coming to his face.

Vince chuckled. "Oh come on. Even Mikey's noticed that the two of you have been spending a lot of time together."

"Mikey sees romance in everything. Last week he was writing a poem about how his beans couldn't live without the love of a hotdog." T.J. laughed. "Our schedules match up for the most part so we see each other a lot and you all have class when we have a spare period so we spend it together. You guys are reading too much into things."

Vince looked seriously at his desk partner. "T.J. We've been friends since before I can even remember. You know you don't need to hide anything from me."

"Vince, my man, there's nothing to hide. Spinelli and I have only ever shared one kiss." He grinned at Vince's shocked expression before going on. "You remember in the fourth grade."

Vince laughed out loud. "That doesn't even count."

T.J. rapped his arm around the basketball MVP's shoulder. "Then it's settled. Nothing's going on."

Gretchen's pocket gave a short buzz. She reached in and pulled out her phone to check the new message. Good old reliable T.J. He had sent a text offering to bring her things to her after class if she wanted to skip the rest of the period. Releasing a sigh, she leant over the sink of the girl's washroom.

"What's wrong with me?" She said aloud to no one in particular. In the ten years that she and T.J. had been friends she had never once thought of him in a romantic kind of way. Sure she had gotten a few butterflies here and there when he made an appearance but she assumed that it would have happened if any member of the opposite sex had shown her any small sliver of attention. So why had her stomach dropped at the thought of Spinelli and T.J. together? She didn't know how long she stood staring at her own reflection before the bell run finalizing classes for the week.

She made her way through the rushing river of students, careful not to bump anyone. Although she hadn't texted T.J. back she knew that when she reached the front door, where she usually met the gang to make their way home, he would be standing with everything roughly shoved in her bag. Hey, he was reliable, not organized. And surely enough, there he was waving at her as soon as she rounded to corner and the doors came into view. As she drew closer she could see Mikey and Vince on either side of him. Mikey smiled and Vince was too caught up in his phone to notice her approach.

"You feeling better now, Gretch?" T.J. asked as he handed over her messenger bag. Vince finally looked up from his device upon hearing her name.

"Yeah, you looked like you were on fire." He shoved the phone into his pocket, giving her his full attention.

"Oh. Yes. I'm fine. Just needed some fresh air." She gave out a fake chuckled to try and kill her own awkwardness just as a thin arm came to wrap around her shoulder.

"Burning up again Gretch?" Spinelli asked.

"Oh dear. What do you mean by 'again'?" Asked Mikey worriedly, brushing his long blond hair over his shoulder. That was about all that had changed about Mikey. He had growing his hair long and dressing more like a hippy but he was still a massive gentle giant.

"Gus said she was turning red yesterday afternoon." She replied. She turned back to Gretchen. "Don't get too sick before the party tonight. I need you to keep me sane around all of the drunken jocks and cheerleaders."

"About that…" Gretchen looked down at her feet. "I'm not really sure if I fit in well enough with that crowed to go to something like that."

"Hey. Since when did you start caring what they thought?"

Gretchen smiled. "I've always cared about what people thought. It's you who doesn't."

"Oh." Spinelli looked thoughtful. "Well you should be a little more like me. They're all stupid anyways." Gretchen smiled at her friend before T.J. cut in.

"That settles that then. The gang's partying tonight!" He cheered. Gus finally appeared and they all agreed to start their walk home.i


	3. Chapter 3

"Wild nights! Wild nights! Were I with thee, Wild nights should be Our luxury! Futile the winds To a heart in port, Done with the compass, Done with the chart. Rowing in Eden! Ah! the sea! Might I but moor To-night in thee! Oh Sir Alexander Keith! I love thee!" Mikey raised his beer to his lips and kissed the side of the can. A number of party goers that had accumulated in the kitchen clapped.

"That was so beautiful." One sobbed as he patted Mikey on the back.

Gretchen sighed. Even Mikey fit in at these parties more than she did. Gus had been willing to stick to her side like glue but unfortunately even an army kid's bladder couldn't hold more than four beers, which was why she was standing alone on the wall. A loud cheer came from the living room, drawing her attention.

She could see Vince and TJ high-fiving threw the door opening. Being two of the schools MVPs and best friends since childhood, the two boys always won at beer-pong. Gretchen and Gus had come to the conclusion many parties prior that the only reason the two even bothered showing up at these things was to have another sport that they kicked butt at.

"Oh my god. That was like, totally awesome TJ." Ashley A said as she clung to TJ's arm. She battered her eyelashes seductively. "But that's expected from someone with your talents."

"They so won because of Vince's awesome dunking skills." Ashley Q stated to her fellow cheerleader.

"You know Gretchen, it's rude to eavesdrop." Gretchen jumped at the sudden comment. She expected to find that Gus had returned but when she turned around she was met with the unexpected sight of a very drunk Menlo with his loose tie hanging from his neck and his usually neat shirt half unbuttoned. The funny thing was that the party had only begun an hour ago.

"I know how it feels to look at the one you love in the arms of another." He looked longingly at Ashley A before looking sharply back to Gretchen. "Maybe we could fill each other's loneliness." He gently stroked a hand against Gretchen's braid. "You look beautiful tonight." He said before drawing his face closer to hers.

"Ack" Was the only sound Gretchen could make before using all of her might to tare herself away from Menlo. Not looking back she ran into the hall and straight into a hard chest.

"Gretchen? Are you alright? Sorry I took so long. The lineup for the washroom is a mile long." Gus said, looking down worriedly at his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine Gus." She drew a few steps back. "I'm just going to get some fresh air. It's getting to crammed in her. I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay. I'm going to find Mikey. I'll meet back up with you in a bit." Gretchen congratulated herself on another brilliant excuse. That was two in one day.

The nerdy girl opened the sliding glass door to the back porch and stepped out. The fall air was crisp although it was still early October. Thankfully she had worn a knitted sweater for just this reason. She wrapped her arms around her slender frame and glanced to the side before jumping. She hadn't noticed the couple with their tongues a foot deep down each other's throats. Embarrassed, she was just about to leave to give the couple privacy when she noticed an unmistakably familiar studded leather jacket.

At that moment the girl, whose back was against the brick wall of the house, discovered Gretchen's presence and roughly pushed the boy away. "Gretchen?" Spinelli looked shocked and slightly embarrassed. Gretchen stood shocked in her place.

"What a mood killer." The boy, now seen to be Lawson of all people, said looking angry at Gretchen. "Maybe we should find a room so we can get more privacy." He put a hand on Spinelli's shoulder and attempted to guide her inside.

Spinelli roughly shrugged him off. "Piss off Lawson." Her voice had a slightly drunken slur. "I just wanted to see if what Ashley A said about you being a horrible kisser was true." She said with a sneer. "It was." She grabbed Gretchen's hand and dragged the girl inside before Lawson could get a word in edge wise.

The two girls practically ran through the hall, Spinelli found a deserted room, pulled her friend in and slammed the door. Gretchen dropped onto the bed, still feeling a little shocked at what she had just witnessed. " Y- you…and…and Lawson?" She gasped in disbelief.

"Gretchen." Spinelli sat beside her friend and touched her hand. "It wasn't anything serious. You can't tell anyone about what you just saw. You have to take this to your grave."

"Spinelli." Gretchen looked into her friends eyes, seemingly recovered now. "If Lawson's who you like then you shouldn't let anyone come between that, no matter how much TJ doesn't like him."

"Expecially TJ!" Spinelli let a large breath go in frustration and got up from her spot and began to pace threw the room. "I Don't like Lawson. Actually, I hate him. I just did it because," She trailed off.

"Because?" She pushed.

"Did you see the way Ashley A was rubbing up on him? I was right there and he didn't even bother to push her away!" Spinelli ran a hand threw her hair in frustration.

"Wait. You like TJ?" Gretchen was on her feet now too. She didn't know what to say. What could she say?

Spinelli let out a dark chuckle. "Don't pretend you haven't caught on yet. Everyone has."

Gretchen looked down at her feet. It seemed her stomach had dropped in that direction as well. "Perhaps he doesn't know. TJ wouldn't do anything to hurt any of us."

Spinelli sighed and dropped back onto the bed. "Oh, he knows." Gretchen came to stand in front of the smaller girl. "TJ and I have been this thing, I don't know what it is. We aren't couple but we do have this sort of…. relationship. If you can call it that. That's why I had to get back at him." She looked up at her friend and for the first time in six years, Gretchen saw tears in the strong girls eyes. "Gretchen." She said holding back a sob. "I think I'm pregnant with TJ's baby."

Gretchen took the opportunity to vomit.

Outside the door Erwin Lawson had a triumphant gin on his face. After so many years of trying to put TJ Detweiler in his place he finally had a winning card, and he was going to play it mercilessly. He snickered and walked back down the hall towards the party.


	4. Chapter 4

Gretchen glanced from side to side as she walked down the hall way. The trip to her locker was exceptionally long that morning considering just about everyone she crossed paths with were either staring in her direction or obviously whispering about her. She passed the cheerleaders, AKA the Ashleys, just in time for Ashleys A, Q and B to chant "Scandalous!" and outright smirk in her direction.

By the time Gretchen had made the journey to her locker she was panicking. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. She usually made her way through the day being completely undetected by the rest of her peers. What could have changed in the two day weekend that would have all eyes in the student body on her?

Her books clattered on the floor as it finally hit her. This wasn`t about her. This was about Spinelli. Someone had probably found out about her secret and had already spread it threw the entire school and as Spinelli`s best friends, Gretchen, and probably the rest of the gang were probably going to be subjected to the gossip as well just by being associated with her.

"So, is it true then?" Gretchen nearly dropped her books again when she heard the voice coming from so close behind her as she rose from just collecting them. She turned and came face to face with Randall Weems.

Puberty certainly hadn`t been as nice to Randal as it had been to Gus. His back had become severely hunched. His red hair was cut uneven and his long narrow face was missing all traces of attractiveness that had come to most boys that she had grown up with.

Gretchen, adrenaline still pumping, pushed Randall away from her. She was suddenly filled with anger that someone would come right up to her and be so straight forward about Spinelli`s condition. She was still a person and as a friend Gretchen was going to protect her. "Piss off Randall!" She screamed at him.

If all heads in the hallway weren`t already turned towards her, they sure as heck were now but oddly enough, she didn`t care. She had to protect Spinelli from what was going to come no matter the cost to her own reputation.

When Ashley T had gotten pregnant the year before, she had been abandoned by the other Ashleys and had been completely cast away by the rest of the student body. She had dropped out of school much sooner than she had needed to just because the other students where making it their personal goal to make her life hell. Now, no one even mentioned the girl's name even though they had grown up together since they were old enough to dig up cat poop in the sand box.

Gretchen turned on her heals and dashed away from Randall and the peering eyes of the other students. It was only 8:30 am and she couldn`t take the stares anymore. She had no idea how Spinelli was supposed to hold out with all of this.

She caught her breath as she entered her first period class and collapsed into the seat beside Gus. The boy looked at her questionably. "Are you okay?"

Gretchen sighed. "So I guess you're not getting any of the stares then?" She piled her books onto her desk and shoved her bag underneath her chair.

"What do you mean stares?" He asked showing concern. It really wasn't all that strange that Gus wasn`t calling on any of the attention. He wasn`t as good of friends with Spinelli as Gretchen was. The other students probably forgot his affiliation to the girl. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I don`t know. People are just acting weird today. "She grabbed her pen and began to write down the agenda that was written on the chalk board. She could feel Gus's questionable gaze still on her face. She turned to him and sighed. She could tell Gus about the looks she was getting from the other students. She just had to keep her mouth shut about Spinelli. "I don't think there was one person in the entire school that didn't burn a hole through my head in the hallway." She looked down at the blue pen in her hand. "You, uh, don't know what it could be about, do you?"

Gus laughed a little. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not really in the gossip ring. I'm sure it's nothing. You know how high school can be." Just then, the teacher walked in, apologised for being late and began their class.

Spinelli rounded the back ally of the school just as the bell rang that signalled the beginning of class. "FUCK THIS SHIT!" She yelled and began an Olympic style sprint to the door. She had been warned only the week prior that if she received one more tarty slip she was going to be sent to the principal's office. Not that she was afraid of him or anything. It was more like the old man creeped her right out.

She yanked the door open and ran face first into a wall. Or what she thought was a wall. It was hard enough to be one at the very least. "What the-"She dropped her sentence when she looked up to see an all too familiar shit eating grin. "Cutting class again Lawson?"

"Oh don't act like you're innocent in that department." He tapped his finger on his chin ponderingly for a second before the grin came back. "Actually, don't act like you're innocent at all."

"What bull shit are you talking about now? Get out of my way. I don't have time for your shit right now." She tried to push around him. "Well to be honest, I don't have time for you ever." Just as she managed to squeeze by him, Lawson spun around and caught her wrist.

"No bull shit today Ashley." He gave her a full teeth grin causing her to give an animalistic growl. "I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about." Spinelli looked on either side of her to find some sort of escape but was now pushed up against the wall with her captor's arms blocking each way. "How is the baby by the way?"

Spinelli choked on her own spit. "What the hell are you talking about?" She said in between coughs.

"Oh, now I'm sure that you know exactly what I'm talking about. I overheard you and the nerdy girl having a heart to heart at the party." She tried not to panic as she looked up bewildered at the tall boy.

"You can't tell anyone!" She couldn't keep her calm for a second longer. "I'll do whatever you want. Just name it!" She could feel her heart beating in her chest as she bordered on hysteria. She was wrong in thinking that the worst case would be TJ finding out about the baby. Lawson could be so much worse.

"Ah, see? Now we're getting on the same page." Laweson ran a hand threw her short hair. Something that was meant to be a calming gesture, but somehow made Spinelli want to vomit.

She looked straight ahead into the v-neckline of the shirt in front of her face and bit her lip. "What do you want?" She was only able to get the sentence out in a whisper. Never before had she ever felt so week.

The quite entrance was suddenly filled with a shrilling laugh. In all the years knowing Lawson, Spinelli had never once been afraid of that sound, quite frankly she had day dreamed many times of clogging the hole that made that noise with her fist. "I hate to take advantage of you in this pathetic state Spinelli. It really doesn't suit you at all, but you must understand that this could be a once in a life time opportunity for me to finally crush Detwieler's annoying confidence."

Suddenly the fear was gone and Spinelli could feel her natural, but somehow amplified spitfire attitude run back threw her system. "And how are you going to do that? TJ's not the one whose belly is going to swell up like a balloon in a few months."

"No, that's not really the angle that I was planning on taking." Lawson grabbed the underside of the small girls chin, forcing her to cram her neck at an awkward angle and look him in the eyes. "I'm going to hit him where only you can hurt. " He finally let her go and took a long step back, sure that she wasn't going to run away now. "You're going to break off whatever it is that you and Detwieler have going."

It was Spinelli's turn to let out a dark laugh. "I don't know what you think TJ and I are but I can promise you he won't care in the slightest. He can have whoever he wants. I'm nothing special."

"Ithink there's more there than you realise, but if you're used to being used by guys that don't have any feelings for you then the second part won't be very hard for you." If possible Spinelli got an even worse feeling about what was to come. "You're going to dump TJ, and you're going to do it ruthlessly. After that you and I are going to put on a nice, glamorous, lovey dovey front and pretend to start dating."

Now Spinelli hadn't been experiencing any morning sickness but right about now she was pretty sure it was going to start happening.


End file.
